Police investigating homicide in Morgan City; man arrested (update)

Thu, 2013-08-15 08:52

MORGAN CITY, La. — A 51-year-old Morgan City man was charged with second degree murder in the death of a 57-year-old Morgan City man, who was found dead this morning at a residence on Clements Street, Morgan City Police Chief Travis Crouch said.

Keith Allen Murphy, 51, the 500 block of Bush Street in Morgan City, was charged with second degree murder, after police discovered the body of Robert Michael Gasek, 57, of the 2300 block of Clements Street in Morgan City, at Gasek’s residence.

At about 4:25 a.m. today, Morgan City police received a call from a complainant advising of a fight at a resi-dence located on Clements Street in Morgan City, Crouch said. A second caller advised dispatch that a man was at the residence, also advising of a fight and that a man was possibly deceased, he said.

Officers arrived at the residence where they encountered a man, identified as Murphy, who was also living at the residence in the 2300 block of Clements Street, Crouch said. Murphy advised officers of an argument which had occurred inside the residence and that Gasek may be deceased, Crouch said. Murphy had been living with Gasek on a temporary basis, Crouch said.

Officers entered the resi-dence to find Gasek in the living room of the residence with severe injuries to his head area, Crouch said. Acadian Ambulance was summoned to the scene. Gasek succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead by the St. Mary Parish coroner at 7:25 a.m. today, Crouch said.

The preliminary investiga-tion showed that Gasek appears to have died from blunt force trauma to the head, Crouch said.

Murphy was taken into custody, was interviewed by detectives, and formally charged with the second degree murder of Gasek, Crouch said.